The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1887-05-26
CASTLE DANGEROUS"


comfort Marshall In Chicago Ledger
lt was q beautiful pair of curly,
tawny-eo!ored cubs that Col. Simon
Whitney brought home with him from
the i.and OF the Sun, where he had been
O resident as nited States consul for
several years.
Les.des these large, playful cub-pup-
pies, Col. Whitney was accompanied in
his Quincy home 10y an additional
weight on his mind in the shape of his
bright, laughing ward, Eva Loudon, an
orphan left in his care by the dying
wishes Of her parents, who, far away
from their sunny knglish home, had be-
queathed their darling to the gentle,
kindly old man who attended them in
their last sickness among strangers.
Eva was of half Spanish origin. and
possessed the lovely dark eyes of the
fascinating women of that country, with
q singular combination of vivacity,
spirit, and gentleness If, in time, old
Col. Whitney's pity for the orphan be-
came changed into something deeper
than a mere fatherly affection, it was a
secret that remained buried in his own
heart-a heart that, like an apple dried
and witbered, was yet sound and sweet
to the core.
IL there was one thing more than an
other that endeared pretty Eva to his
heart, it was her fondness for his pets,
the little cubs Car and khedive. She
taught them many of the little tricks
that are usually taught to dogs, and
the sensible creatures early displayed
an aptness for learning that delighted
their young mistress, and sent their
master into ecstacies of fond admira-
ton. The on..v pet that Eva herself
possessed Was given her by a sailor On
board ship, who died before the voyage
ended. This pet was a much-loved par
rot who had been taught to speak, and
TO Eva's horror-as she afterward dis
cOyered-to curse most volubly in excel
lent ! nglish.
With his ward and his pets Col. Whit
ney set up an establishment of modest
excellence, and Eva Was given every ad-
vantage of completing her much neg
lected education. A particular room
was furnished with a view to the COM
fort of the young lions, which, when
discovered by the neighbors, raised a
thrill of horror through their bones at
this reckless tempting of Providence.
They all declared that he ought to be
indicted, but when, at the c~olonels in
vltation, they came to inspect the terri
BILE, ravenous beasts, and found, in
stead, two playful, c~ub-looking puppies,
they changed their tune and then closed
their lips when they discovered from
their surroundings that the colonel was
q wealthy man.
1t is generally considered best not to
meddle in any way with a rich man, for
money by many is considered as a SYM
Dol of the lever with which Archimedes
would fain have lifted the world. The
poor man Is generally showed to the
wall, but the rich man has all his own
way, and SO in this instance col. Whit
ney found the reputation of his wealth
to shut the mouth and close the eyes of
all persons prediSposed against his be-
loved animals. His heart was so
wrapped up in the playful little fellows
that he indeed told Eva that rather than
be forced to give them up he would re-
turn to the land froN whence he had
come, and there keep them in safety. 1t
was whispered among some of his So
called friends that n reason of
his strange %infatuation was that
in the years agone his lady-love
in that far-away country had
been killed and eaten by a lioness who
in turn was killed and her cubs taken
and reared, and so on down to the pres
were symbols, or all left to represent
the departed lady, and this was the
reason for the %colonel's fondness for
them. This, however, we are safe in
saying is a rather wild story, and highly
improbable and not worthy the being
argued for or against.
Among the visitors at Col. Whitney's
establishment was his nephew, a young
man just entered manhood, but still
very boyish in his ways.
Tom Whitney was his name, and a
great favorite with his uncle, who had
q great liking for the young fellow.
Tom Whitney soon became as fond of
the cubs as their old master, and as
frequent and ardent a worshipper as
even he could have desired. How much
his frequency of visits may have been
owing to the presence of Eva Loudon
We can not tell, but certainly a friendli-
ness rapid in its growth-of which the
key is possessed by the young-sprang
up between the young people.
Together they taught the young cubs
tricks, together they played with them
and quarreled with each other, the
whole of which was watched by Col.
Whitney with a smile and a sigh.
Time passed swiftly by, and the cubs
assumed larger proportions, growing
more mighty and clumsy as Tom found
in his weekly visits to the apartment
consigned to their use. He still, how
ever. continued his frolics with them,
and he and Car would have frequent
little contests with each other, and Col.
Whitney warned Tom repeatedly that he
was running the animals temper, and
he would finally be forced to shut them
up entirely. Eva's parrot, who stayed
in the same room with the cubs, seemed
to take the greatest delight in these
little battles and would flop his wings
With the greatest gravity and yell out:
SEQ it, boys!p' Ha! ha! ha"
So thoroughly imbued was the bird
with the spirit of mischief and desire
for wrangling that Tom took a great
dislike to it. much to Eva's chagrin.
One day the crisis came. Tom went